In The End
by Who Is Caligula
Summary: Against the humid tropics of Virmire, every species must fight to keep their cool.
1. Chapter 1

In The End: A Mass Effect Story

By Who Is Caligula (2008)

Dedicated to the Bioware Community

"All's well that ends well, Lieutenant. That's all you need to tell yourself. Something my grandfather constantly drilled into my head".

"Yeah", agreed the lieutenant, his eyes softening as they steadied on the wrinkles of Navigator Pressley's rounded face. Pressley always had a strange, childlike quality that Alenko found amusing. He was probably the oldest member of the Normandy's crew; at least, until the recent addition of that asari archaeologist. Pressley had attempted to address the lieutenant's concerns regarding his involvement in a recent conflict resolution. Kaidan got the feeling he wasn't getting through to the aging officer, though.

"I'll be heading down to mess in a few minutes. Look like you could use a drink, yourself", Pressley stretched and rubbed the back of his neck, which Alenko correctly assumed to be sore from staring at holopanels and data monitors for hours on end.

"Yeah", echoed the weary lieutenant. "I'll meet you down there in a second", he added, swallowing what little saliva he was able to produce. Alenko's head throbbed slightly and his lips felt parched, but he had one more thing to take care of before joining his fellow officer in the Normandy's mess hall.

"Things could have gone much worse", came the gravelly tones of Admiral Hackett's empty compliments. He sometimes contacted Shepard for some minor assignment if she was already within a nearby system or cluster. "You got the job done quickly, and the Alliance is grateful for your contributions, Shepard."

He wasn't sure, but it looked like she had flinched on _quickly_.

At the start of their journey, the lieutenant and his commanding officer had agreed that stopping by to complete a brief mission was perfectly acceptable. Commander Shepard was, after all, the first human Spectre. As one of the Citadel Council's finest operatives, her abilities were rarely called into question. Her methods were another story, though. This was further complicated by the pressures of media, and cameras were often more brutal than guns.

Alenko knew too well the frustrations Shepard faced when working with the council. Political and military objectives often went together like potassium and chlorine. Despite the usefulness and necessity of their marriage, they bumped elbows even under the best of circumstances.

And, like the aforementioned chemical union, the result was often deadly.

"I hope the chairman learned his lesson", Shepard replied to the Admiral's disembodied voice. "I can't be there every time some politician gets sloppy".

"I'll be speaking to Burns myself, Commander. Those biotics will be getting their reparations, thanks to your efforts. Fifth fleet out".

Pressley yawned and tapped a series of keys before leaving his station. There were only two other officers on the Normandy's command deck, and they appeared to be intensely focused on one of the orange panels of flickering light that hovered over their console.

Commander Shepard was not so deeply concentrated on narrow pursuits. Piercing gaze wandered tirelessly as she descended the turianesque platform, lowering herself to the eye level of her crew. The lieutenant knew his commander would have plenty to worry about already, but he would rather disrupt her train of thought now than force to her pay him a visit later, which would use up even more of her valuable time.

"Commander?" he called to her from a respectful distance that he hoped would not be misconstrued as too near or far to be professional. Her face snapped up to meet his gaze, and Kaidan Alenko's heart jumped as he instantly recalled the sour heat of varren breath. Feros had been hard on everyone, though.

"What's the matter, Lieutenant?"

"You wanted to speak with me, Commander", he spoke gingerly to his commanding officer. She was not quick to anger, but Alenko would not have been promoted to staff lieutenant without giving special attention to the chain of command. Then again, he wasn't expecting any promotion in the near future.

"I did? When?"

Lieutenant Alenko paused thoughtfully, his expression neutral.

"Back on the freighter, ma'am. Right after the-"

Kaidan cut himself off, searching for the right word to conceal his error.

"Negotiations".

The lieutenant monitored his CO's reaction once the words registered in her busy brain.

"Oh. Don't worry about that", she waved a dismissive hand.

"Ma'am?" Alenko was taken aback. He'd expected her to chew right through him for insubordination.

"Things worked out fine, just like the admiral said. In fact, I'd say it was good thing you were on hand to help diffuse the tension. Who'd have thought the biotics would have been so quick to warm up to an L2?"

Shepard did not make jokes very often, and her tone seemed much lighter than what the lieutenant had grown accustomed to. He was confounded.

"Well, I'm glad I could be of service. Ma'am".

Before he could leave for the mess, the commander stopped him with one lean, deceptively strong hand.

"Kaidan."

"Ma'am?"

"The mission is done. Speak freely".

The commander rarely called him by his first name. Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko had always tried to maintain positive relations with other people, but he knew some folks just had to be avoided. Perhaps he'd been too hasty when he'd thrown Commander Shepard in the "Look, Don't Touch" category.

Still, he felt awkward. It had been several days since he'd even shared a personable exchange with the commander, and even then, it had not been a relaxed conversation. What could he say to her?

"I'm glad things worked out, ma'am. I mean, I had hoped for a diplomatic solution, but I would follow your orders, even if they-"

He cut himself off again, coating each word in a thick cushion of tact before sending it into sizzling air that surrounded Commander Shepard.

"Even if what, Lieutenant?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

"If they gave me pause, Commander. I'm still human, so I can't promise you that I can keep objective-minded and detached in every mission".

"The objective was important, Kaidan. Do you know why?"

Kaidan considered his CO's query with great care, pushing past the mental images of silvery varren leaping through air like four-legged piranha. Something told him he would remember this conversation for a long time.

"It was a dangerous situation, ma'am. Lives were at stake, and I just wanted to explore every option".

"The mission objective", Shepard explained, "was important _because_ many lives were at stake. Human lives, at that. In this instance, your humanity made you a fine instrument of diplomacy".

"Thank you, Commander" Kaiden accepted the half-compliment before things got any more heated. He knew he should have kept quiet about the whole mess.

"If the biotics had been asari, would you have been able to see their side of things just as easily?"

"I guess not", Kaidan admitted. "But I think I read you. I'll be careful, Commander".

He thanked her again, although she seemed to sense the true depth of his gratitude and let out a gentle sigh, shifting her weight onto the other foot. What kind of tactical approach was the commander going to use on him now?

"Speaking of asari, I should check up on our newest crewmate".

"She's alright?" Kaidan asked, suspecting that Shepard's use of the word "our" was part of some plan to win him over with a sense of generic camaraderie. It wouldn't work on him, but at least she was trying.

"Chakwas says she's fine, just a little worn out. Can't say I blame her, poor gal".

"Yeah", Alenko agreed openly. "She could probably use the debriefing".

Kaidan recognized his error too late, and clenched his jaw when his commander took aim at him with that omniscient laser gaze she normally reserved for confrontations with selfish politicians.

Kaidan was not a selfish man. He risked meeting her gaze directly.

"You don't like me, do you, Lieutenant?"

Kaiden remained silent for a full three seconds before Shepard continued.

"I like to keep tabs on my crew. I put my duty above everything else, but I'm not the stern badass everyone seems to think I am. The Alliance has to keep their hands in the media's pocket, but that agenda falls far below the work we're trying to accomplish here".

The lieutenant listened cautiously. A brilliant woman could topple any empire she wanted, and Kaidan was not about to lose his footing. Not yet, anyway.

"Keeping the galaxy safe is more important than keeping the galaxy happy. That doesn't make them mutually exclusive, though. Do you understand?"

Her voice seemed to mellow. If she was trying to use the overburdened-overachiever card on him, that wouldn't work either.

"I think so, Commander", was his only response. He waited, sensing there was more to come.

"If you don't want to trust me, that's your decision. You don't have to like me, either. I know you better than any officer under my command, but if you want to play it cool", she exhaled gently, and her eyes dropped to his neck, "that's fine with me".

Kaiden blinked, stupefied.

His commander was right. She _did_ know him better than any other officer, and he did make a considerable effort to "play it cool", as she put it. Professionalism and diplomacy meant nothing if he couldn't openly express himself to his commander. Maybe she wasn't the only one he'd been holding out on.

"You're right, Commander" he spoke aloud. "Sorry if I seem a little… stuffy. I guess I'm not used to building personal relationships with superiors. Force of habit".

"It's okay, Lieutenant", she reassured him before turning toward the corridor. "I've got a few things to do, but I'll be in the mess later if you want to chat". The door hissed shut behind her before Kaidan could muster a decent response.

Weird. She must have known him even better than he thought. Kaidan Alenko considered himself a thoughtful and dedicated human being, but maybe it wouldn't hurt to sniff the flowers every now and then. He sighed heavily before trotting downstairs to the mess hall, where he made small talk with Pressley for nearly twenty minutes before taking his final sip of water and departing for a well-deserved rest. He knew Shepard had her hands full with more important business.

Alenko's dreams were full of exotic flora, thorny and twisting like snakes in a steaming bed of sand.


	2. Chapter 2

Doctor Liara T'Soni tried desperately to avoid clawing at the edges of her seat as the Mako dipped and buckled over the crags of rocky formations that adorned Virmire's lush surface. The surface was coated with more "interesting terrain" than she would have preferred to experience firsthand. Exploring the world on her own might have been preferable without the presence of the geth, but the lieutenant's apparent lack of driving skill was not making the journey any less nauseating. She might have been considered a child among her people, but she took no comfort in the realization that Lieutenant Alenko was by far the clumsiest driver she'd known in her full century of existence.

"May I make a suggestion?" she tried maintain composure despite her obvious distress.

"Only if I can give an order first", came Shepard's unusual reply. The commander was a persistent source of bewilderment for the young asari. The motivations that drove her often eluded Liara's best intellectual efforts. She _was_ the first human Spectre, though. Perhaps exceptionality was more appropriate for Shepard than other humans.

"Orders, Commander?" the Lieutenant's voice was barely audible through the scraping of rock and crashing of trees and wild waters splashing against the windows. Shepard had reassured her that the vehicle's defenses and hull were exceptionally strong, but those words felt very distant now. Why had she even volunteered to accompany Shepard on their journey across this treacherous world? She must have known there would be dangerous surprises along the way.

Then again, the severity of their predicament built quite rapidly once they reached Virmire. Liara was no stranger to violent conflict, but she never actually went looking for it. She felt very much outside her element here, in an armored vehicle, on a strange planet, with two humans she barely knew.

"Lieutenant. Get the Mako back on the _beach_. You'll make Liara lose her lunch".

"Aye-aye, Commander".

Several more bumps, and finally their ride was smooth again. T'Soni exhaled, and allowed her back to ease against the chair for only a brief moment when the lieutenant spoke up.

"Looks like they're waiting for us up ahead. Could try to decelerate, hit the armature at long range. Soften them up, if nothing else".

"Agreed. Ready for a little payback, Liara?" Shepard turned to the unsuspecting scholar sitting in the rear of the Mako.

"Payback?" she asked.

"You take the guns. Set your first shot carefully, because they'll be returning fire once they see us. Got it?"

Liara nodded, although her heart began to flutter uncontrollably. She knew the Mako was equipped with some kind of weapon system, and she expected it would see some use throughout the course of their excursion. She did not anticipate that the commander would insist upon her operating any heavy weaponry, however. She lacked the skill, training, and experience for such tasks. By the goddess, what had she gotten herself into? The anxious asari knew the controls would feel alien in her hands, but perhaps Shepard trusted that she was a fast learner.

_First time for everything_.

Where had she heard that phrase before? She remembered the Normandy's rowdy pilot, the way he seemed to make jokes even in the most desperate of circumstances. Liara guessed that it was some kind of psychological defense or coping mechanism, to deal with the strain of his job. If he laughed in the face of danger, perhaps she could find something to laugh about as well.

The lieutenant, hands steady on the Mako's steering apparatus, raised his voice and snapped her back into the present.

"Almost in firing range, Doctor T'Soni. Sure you're alright with this?"

She nodded emphatically, wordlessly. Her mouth felt dry.

Doctor T'Soni wished she knew more jokes.

Pangs of hunger wracked their way through Urdnot Wrex's stomach like a frenzied varren on a fresh and bloody carcass. He never much cared for varren, though. Never understood why so many krogan felt the need to use the little monsters as nocturnal sentinels and household amusements. They couldn't have been easy to domesticate, but then again, Wrex didn't know much about animals.

There were only two kinds of animal he cared about: the ones that were dangerous, and the ones that tasted good.

The fact that he was frequently treated _like_ an animal probably didn't help much, either. If someone treated you like the scum of the galaxy, it was hard to take an interest in less sophisticated forms of life. That sort of business could go to the salarians, with their endless chatter and tiny skulls.

Then again, his people weren't too big on endless chatter. And their skulls were huge, easily big enough to fit several salarian skulls inside.

"How many more are on the way? You only came with a single ship?" a delicate voice interrupted his amusing fantasy.

Wrex knew the irritating voices of salarians as well as any krogan, like the early morning caw of the dreaded Pukubi. Pukubi had fragile little necks, easy enough to snap if one became too much of a nuisance.

"Our commander is on his way, Captain. I told you she'll be here any minute", the armor-clad human chirped angrily at the salarian. Wrex always found her noisiness to be less irritating than the salarians', but then again, humans were newcomers to the galactic stage. They hadn't earned a place on the council, or gotten cozy enough to lord power over all the other species like the salarians did. Wrex suspected that humans weren't above using genocide to ensure their power, but he couldn't be certain.

Humans were a weird bunch, hard to predict. Turians got uncomfortable when the humans slapped their fleet around during the First Contact War. Anyone who wasn't afraid to slap around the turian fleet deserved a firm nod, in his book.

"I hope they're alright. The geth have some of their best armature guarding these cliffs", more chatter filled the air. It might have been from a different person, Wrex wasn't sure and he certainly didn't care. He strolled down the beach, wondering if there were any good fish in the water. The ornery krogan scraped his tongue across the tips of his teeth, struggling to remember the last time he sank his them into a fresh chunk of meat. Spacers, even wealthy ones, ate like beggars. Wrex hated space travel. Spending so many hours sitting in the lower deck of the Normandy had been brutal on his metabolism.

Wrex glanced back at the medley of chatterboxes only when he overheard the turian suggest something about a "search party". Searching meant leaving this boring scene, not to mention a good chance of finding something to kill. The geth were synthetics, so it wouldn't do much to stave off his hunger, but at least there would be a distraction until they could move on to more exciting things.

He let out a grunt of disappointment when he saw Shepard's vehicle approach them from the cliffs. The rest of the Normandy's crew reacted very strongly to the sight; everyone stood to their feet, checked their equipment, spruced themselves up real nicely for the commander. Krogans didn't have that kind of pretension. If you had a problem with a krogan, you could say it right to his face, and he'd grant you the same courtesy. Lots of species, especially the asari, showered themselves in fanciful dreams and petty pursuits.

Not him. Wrex knew that in the end, all creatures had to die. Once you accepted that, you wouldn't get bogged down in stupid crap.

His red eyes blinked in the sunlight. Everyone gathered around Shepard, not surprisingly. Wrex knew she wouldn't be too happy when she found out what was going on, and how the council screwed up again. It was too bad, seeing a great warrior like Shepard get chained down by political whiners and whatnot. She stood in full armor, with her arms crossed as the salarian spewed meaningless words at her. Shepard looked unimpressed, maybe even agitated. Wrex saved the image in his mind for later review. The upcoming fight was going to be very bloody. Maybe when it was over, he could recall the image and keep himself amused during the quieter hours.

The krogan snorted in satisfaction before heading back to the flimsy encampment. He could always hear the battle plan later, but there was still the chance Shepard might mouth off at the salarian captain if he gave her a hard time about some minor issue. That would _also_ be worth reviewing later. Right now, he was too irritable to savor humorous conflict. There was something about the sunny planet that just didn't sit well with him. Salarians usually had something salty on hand; maybe he would feel better after crunching on some of their dehydrated rations. If nothing else, he could enjoy their squeaks of protest as he pawed through their supplies.

The hungry krogan left deep tracks in the pale sand, and never glanced back at the jagged lightning spiking distant islands. The day would not end well, but he was not afraid to die.


	3. Chapter 3

Garrus Vakarian double checked the scope alignment of his favorite sniper rifle, his gaze washing over it one last time before he tenderly set it upon a Salarian storage crate. His sacrificial offering, as Tali saw it, could not have been worth more than a few thousand credits. During her time aboard the Normandy, she had seen great sums of money and expensive equipment passed amongst the crew like scraps of cheap metal. Money was not on the turian's mind, the quarian decided. She understood what it was like give up something of great personal value, even if that something could not reciprocate or return the affection lavished upon it.

The splayed protrusions on Garrus's head lifted toward the sky. The stillness of the scene sobered Tali, although she knew better than to offer Garrus an explicit gesture of sympathy. A salarian officer snatched the sniper rifle from its altar, and stuffed it carelessly into a cramped weapons locker. They would never know what Garrus had given them, but at least he still had his assault rifle. It would serve him better inside the base, assuming he would accompany Shepard during the infiltration.

The quarian rose to her feet, fine granules of sand falling from the crevices of her environmental suit. She watched Kaidan and Ashley bicker as they strained to lift one of the larger supply crates; a pair of Salarians did the same, only without making a fuss.

Wrex stood alone where the white beach met with azure waters. Grey storm clouds thickened over the horizon. Tropical worlds like Virmire saw heavy precipitation on a regular basis, especially at the equator. This krogan had always been in a foul disposition, but he seemed especially cantankerous today. Perhaps he was uncomfortable with the humidity.

The asari scientist was nowhere to be seen. Tali guessed she was inside one of the makeshift tents, reviewing some data file or other. She didn't know the doctor very well, but she was reluctant to judge her so early on. If nothing else, her natural gift for biotics would make her very useful in the coming fight.

At last, her eyes drifted to Commander Shepard. She was hunched over a supply crate, and appeared to be using her superb bargaining skills on one of the lower-ranking salarian officers. Tali did not blame the salarians for the severity of this predicament; she blamed Saren, if anyone. They would be vastly outnumbered by the geth, and even with their careful planning, she knew many lives would be lost before the day was done.

"Tali", came Garrus's unexpected call. "Are you all set?"

She suspected he wasn't just talking about her personal equipment supply, which carried more than enough tech mines to get her through a full day of fighting.

"Yes", she replied, not bothering the hide the concern in her voice.

"It's going to be pretty rough out there, but stick to the commander's orders and you'll be fine".

"I will. Thanks", she learned to accept the turian advice for what it was, without bothering to look for hidden meanings. Turians did not make a habit of concealing their agenda with carefully chosen language, although something about Garrus's fatherly remark made the bruise on her shoulder ache slightly.

The young quarian resisted the nagging compulsion to check her equipment for a fifth time, reminding herself that the base would likely have more than enough to replenish supplies in the event that someone ran short on something. Garrus had been kind to describe the coming battle as _pretty rough_. The last thing they needed to worry about was their stock of supplies.

Still, she would have liked to return to the migrant fleet one day. Days like this were sure to make for great storytelling. The mission hadn't even begun, and she already was eager to know how it all ended.

Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams patted the sides of the crate, dislodging the courser grains of beach sand. It was unlikely that enough stray particles would work their way into the crate to affect the functionality of the equipment, but Ashley liked to be thorough. She wouldn't have been made gunnery chief if she hadn't known a thing or two about weapon maintenance.

"Chief, could you give me a hand with this one?"

Lieutenant Alenko was dragging a second crate through the sand, although this container was more elongated and the sunlight played upon its cold, metallic exterior. To Williams, it looked like a coffin. Too small to fit someone in there, though. Too narrow for a volus, even.

Dusting her gloved hands against one another, she gripped the sand-encrusted side opposite Alenko, and lifted with her powerful legs. It was lighter than the previous crate, but still unnecessary in her eyes.

"We've got plenty of stuff to worry about already, Lieutenant", she noted as they fought to keep the cumbersome casket from tumbling back into the sand.

"So do the salarians", he responded calmly, only the tiniest hint of strain in his voice. Alenko looked pretty strong in the arms, but Williams was fairly certain the lieutenant wasn't the type to go looking for fights. He seemed like the sort of guy who would try to step in before things got out of control, and her suspicions had been confirmed when she learned of his diplomatic handling of the hostage situation onboard the MSV Ontario. She wasn't sure if she could have remained that calm under pressure, when guns were being pointed and people were screaming for their lives.

Williams heard many kinds of screams throughout her career. She hated those screams the most. The worst ones really did feel like they were curdling her blood.

"This should be fine. Real easy, now", the lieutenant could have easily been moving furniture, he sounded so casual. Maybe the Lieutenant sounded calm because he wasn't thinking about the battle to come.

The chief and the lieutenant both patted the sand from their gloves for the umpteenth time that day.

"We're good to go, right?" he asked while running an idle hand through the thick of his hair. Ashley found the slicked-back hair to be a reliable amusement, since Alenko possessed absolutely none of the showiness of a teenage heartthrob, at least the ones her little sister seemed to find appealing.

"What? What's funny?"

"Besides your hair? Nothing", she didn't bother to hide the smirk. She would need something to grin about before the day was over.

Kaidan patted his hair down once before lifting his helmet, and Ashley did the same.

"All set?" Commander Shepard straightened their posture with words alone. Their affirmative response was firm and fast, like a pair of well-disciplined children being offered a trip to the candy store. Shepard had no children of her own, but she considered these two soldiers to be among the most dedicated professionals to have ever operated under her command. To express the sentiment now would be in poor taste, however; such words would be more appropriate for "debriefing", as the lieutenant had called it.

"We could use one more for the infiltration team. Thoughts?" she posed the question to them out of respect for her officers more than anything else. Shepard would have been satisfied with any one of the four potential allies, and insight would be valuable.

"Surprised there weren't any volunteers, Commander", Ashley was always quickest to comment. Chief Williams had exceptional reflexes, much like Shepard in her youth.

"There was one, actually. But you'll never guess who".

"Not the krogan, I hope. You might be able to keep him calm for now, but I've seen how he gets once the shooting starts. Like a varren in heat", Williams broke eye contact after making her analogy. Shepard knew the anguished cries of ExoGeni's colonists were still too fresh in her mind.

"I think she meant the asari. Right, Commander?" Alenko knew the Commander's perspective, even if he didn't always agree with it. There was a reciprocal trust between them, despite the discrepancies in their respective ranks. If they shared anything beyond a professional relationship, Williams certainly saw no sign of it.

"Right. Doctor T'Soni can hold her own in a fight, but she doesn't have much experience with this kind of work", Shepard spoke plainly to the attentive pair.

"Yeah", the chief nodded. "She'd probably be more comfortable with a whip and a fedora". Williams flicked her wrist theatrically, imitating the heroics of a fictional hero from her childhood.

"I'm not sure about that one, Chief", Alenko quirked a brow. "We had to leave the Mako a few times on the way here. Dismounting the horses, you know".

"So?"

"She mentioned her dislike of the sand", Alenko spoke with tactful narrative. "Didn't like how it gets _everywhere_".

"I didn't hear that one", Shepard smirked. "Must have been preoccupied at the time. Shooting murderous synthetics can be distracting".

"What about the quarian? She's got the skills, and she knows how to maneuver undetected. That'd be handy", Ashley suggested, recalling fondly their mission on Eletania. Things seemed relatively simple back then. It had only been a few days ago, but it felt like years to her. She wasn't sure why.

"I'd take Garrus, ma'am. If it were my choice", the lieutenant added.

Of course, they knew what the hell they were doing during that little _assignment_. They had a clear objective, and despite the intervention of the geth, things worked out alright. The mission on Eletania had been a success. The Chief knew things were much more complicated the second they set foot on Virmire. They seemed only to get bad news with every minute they spent here, but she was hoping that would change once Shepard got things moving. Shepard cared about her people. She wasn't some hotheaded turian cop.

"You'll need someone you can trust, Commander", Ashley spoke without thinking. She felt exposed, like her suit's kinetic barriers had died. She glanced at her HUD reflexively.

"He means well. I'm not sure I trust his judgment, though", Alenko added, his eyes distant and thoughtful. Thunder crackled beyond the shore.

"Tough call. I think I'm going with Tali, though. Lieutenant."

"Commander?"

"Tell Garrus to see me after the salarian captain speaks to his men".

"Will do, Commander".

Kaidan and Ashley exchanged glances and followed Shepard to the salarian tent, where sunlight bounced off the green-skinned alien and gave him an eerie, radioactive glow.

Chief Williams inhaled sharply, grateful for the fresh polonium rounds she had taken the time to securely install within her firearm. She wondered if Saren would glow when her rounds penetrated his ugly turian skull.


	4. Chapter 4

"Never thought my unit would be seeking help from a quarian".

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" Tali objected, fearless of the salarian commander. His hunched posture was framed by the vibrant yellow on his black bodysuit, a color scheme which Tali found appropriate for his toxic pessimism.

"Any help is better than no help", he shrugged. "I would have preferred to see a turian task force, or maybe even an asari commando unit, but-"

"Shepard has fought with asari commandos. They are no match for her skills", she hastily defended her commander.

"Yes, I suppose that is to be expected from a council spectre", Rentola nodded dejectedly. "Skills are not the issue here, though. One spectre and her small band of soldiers are not exactly ideal for an assault of this scale. Saren's base is enormous, and the fortifications are some of the toughest I've ever seen. Geth everywhere, and maybe even worse things inside."

"I have fought the geth many times, Commander", Tali interrupted proudly. "They are very strong, but their intelligence is limited to their own programming. As organics, we have the advantage of adaptability. Their numbers are no match for our minds".

"I wish I had your confidence", the commander frowned. "The odds are stacked heavily in the enemy's favor, and our reconnaissance will only take us so far".

Tali folded her arms across her chest. She knew the salarian was right, and her efforts to reassure him were not getting anywhere. Things looked bad. The salarian had very flatly remarked that the expected casualties would be high.

_Casualties._

The word irritated her. How could anyone speak so lightly of death and suffering? The flotilla may have been heavily militarized, but most people back home appreciated the tragedy of lives lost. Perhaps non-quarian soldiers had to stay focused on their jobs above all else, even if it meant downplaying the loss of their comrades in battle.

Tali was young, and she was not a soldier. To shrug off the death of a friend seemed disturbing, at best. As she recounted the crewmembers of the SSV Normandy in her mind, it dawned on her that she would indeed lament the loss of any of them. Even Wrex seemed to treat her with greater kindness in recent days.

"Tali", someone called to her. She relaxed the tense muscles of her arms, and found herself in the shadow of an armored turian.

"Yes?"

"Shepard's given me command of a support team. It's mainly just to sweep up behind her assault element, check for any valuable intel, and keep the geth from sneaking up behind her".

"That could be very important, Garrus. Shepard made a good choice putting you in charge of it".

"Really?" the turian asked, cocking his head at the young quarian. "I was actually expecting someone else to take the helm. After leading that incredible recon team yesterday, I figured she would ask you to do it".

"Don't be silly, Garrus", she responded too quickly to catch his subtle compliment. "No one would want to follow a _little quarian_ into battle".

"You're not just-" he shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. "Look, that isn't what I meant. I'm sorry about Noveria, but I was hoping you might join me for this mission".

Garrus sometimes wished his words had the precision of his favorite sidearm. Right now, he felt like a broken Lancer, spraying wildly on auto-fire and two seconds from overheating.

"I'm grateful for your offer", she spoke with the gentle, quarian sincerity any species could appreciate. "Shepard has already asked me to accompany her on the assault team, though. Sorry".

"Oh", was all he could think to say. "Well, good luck".

"Thanks, Garrus. Stay safe".

The turian's beaked jaws parted briefly, but only an exhale was heard before he left the tent.

_Why did he always do that?_

Tali did not understand why so many species were afraid to speak their mind. It was frustrating to realize that, even once they were back aboard the Normandy, she was unlikely to ever discover what words the turian withheld.


	5. Chapter 5

"Alenko, cease fire".

The lieutenant's redundant discharge of armor-piercing rounds came to an abrupt halt. He'd been firing into the corpse of a seemingly invincible krogan, just one of many that Shepard expected to find within Saren's base of operations. They could soak up a lot of fire before going down, and some of them would even rise back up after hitting the ground. The thought of Saren's geneticists working to build a krogan army was unsettling, at best. Not many things truly frightened the commander, but the idea of ground engagements with large groups of krogans did not sit well with her.

_I do worry. That's why I'm alive._

She was beginning to understand why the salarians were so wary of Wrex. Even the smallest skirmishes fought during the Krogan Rebellion would have been nothing short of nightmarish. Salarians had their backs to the wall, but she couldn't help sympathizing with Wrex as a bitter survivor.

_I didn't deserve to live any more than they did._

"Commander, there's a stairwell on this side!" Tali shouted with her usual enthusiasm. Shepard knew the young quarian was afraid, hungry for directions and actions.

"Hold position", she called to the quarian. Time was working against them, but Shepard was not going to allow history to repeat itself.

_Not today, anyway._

Alenko and Shepard made their way to the rising slope of stairs. Shepard kept her rifle trained on the empty space that extended beyond the final stair, knowing the altitude would grant the geth an ideal position for an ambush. Tali crouched behind them, covering the ascending pair with her favorite pistol.

There was a gentle scraping sound, and Shepard halted. She did not relish the thought of being thrown down a flight of stairs by some krogan lying in wait. Staircases were important chokepoints, and charging heedlessly upstairs was a stupid idea no matter how thick your shields were.

As she climbed fifth step from the top, the spectre caught a glimpse of what was already waiting for her. It was bigger than a krogan.

"Fall back!" was all she managed to holler before an ear-shattering blast erupted from the adjacent wall. Chunks of shrapnel punched at Shepard's armor, but she never lost her footing as she darted down the staircase to find a safer firing position. She leapt from the fifth step when she heard Alenko and Tali return fire.

"Weapon systems disabled!" Tali cried, following the lieutenant to an ideal firing range. Shepard was already on her feet, tungsten rounds lancing the giant's red outer hull. Even as its bulky frame took heavy damage, it closed in on her. She knew the mechanical monstrosity would be capable of returning fire in just a few seconds, but that was the least of her concerns. Geth juggernaut units were extraordinarily aggressive, able withstand continuous fire and charge right through the enemy's defenses. Even for an experienced and well-equipped soldier, the sight of a massive red killing machine running directly toward you was nothing short of terrifying.

Shepard knew she was the primary target of this killing machine. In fact, she was counting on it.

Now free of the cumbersome staircase, the gargantuan foe broke into a full run. Shepard held her position, standing tall with her rifle sighted on the target's center mass. The spectre was an unmoving wall against the coming storm. Tali knew the geth would not be intimidated. Even if they were capable of accurately assessing the threat Shepard posed, they would still attack.

The giant's footsteps were nearly inaudible. The inhuman mass appeared to fly across the room, charging directly at Commander Shepard. Tali held her breath.

"Alenko!" she barked through the chaotic noise of panicked discharges.

There was a low hum, and something sent the juggernaut into a nearby wall. It was followed by a ferocious metallic crunch like a high-speed vehicle collision, and Shepard fired controlled bursts into what appeared to be a stationary target. The luxury of sustained accuracy was all that mattered now.

_Damn things were like synthetic krogans._

The red giant shuddered from each impact, but did not rise. Shepard eased off the trigger.

"Is it dead?"

"Yeah", Shepard reassured the quarian. "Dead as any machine can be".

"That's why I prefer stairs over elevators", Alenko holstered his pistol as he approached the broken juggernaut. Judging from the length of its legs, he estimated the behemoth was well over three meters tall. "Easier to see what you're headed into".

If Shepard appreciated the lieutenant's metaphor, her stern features didn't show it.

"We should head to the geothermal taps, Shepard", the quarian remarked, deeply concerned for the salarian fire teams. Casualties were going to be heavy, but she was not about to let their sacrifice be in vain. Back on the beach, it had occurred to Shepard that officers sometimes made a point of being honest in sharing bad news.

_I won't lie to you._

A simple admission of the catastrophe to come. First from Captain Anderson, then Captain Kirrahe. She suspected that a certain _Captain Shepard_ would one day catch herself repeating this line of encouragement to officers under her command. Until then, maybe she could think something a little more optimistic to share with her troops.

The commander took point, jogging past the broken geth with Tali and Kaidan following. Her teammates watched the staircase very carefully as they made their ascent.


	6. Chapter 6

The most cherished colonies of the turians tended to resemble their own homeworlds. Reflective skin allowed their species to thrive in relatively harsh solar conditions. For Garrus Vakarian, the golden sunlight filtering through exotic Virmirian flora was more of a visual enhancement than a tactical nuisance. He suspected that a turian colony would one day settle and develop the world, since their military prowess would likely enable them to take the planet back from the villainous scum that presently quarreled over its resources.

Garrus did not consider Saren to be the usual sort of scum, however. As a former member of the council spectres, he was once their greatest asset and something of an icon among turians. Now, the turians were shamed by the knowledge that one of their finest had fallen from grace. Even worse was the fact that Saren was an extreme threat to security and peace throughout Citadel space and beyond.

One way or another, the rogue agent would be brought to justice. Garrus was honored to aid Commander Shepard in achieving this noble goal.

"Yeah, maybe we ought to get moving. Today, preferably".

"Stay quiet, Wrex" Garrus spat orders at the callous krogan. "There could be geth nearby".

"Then what the hell are we waiting around for?" Wrex rolled shoulders for the pleasure of stretching more than personal indifference to the so-called "team leader".

"They could be lying in wait, ready to take us by surprise", came the silky voice of the asari squad member. "I am sure Garrus has a plan of some sort".

"Thank you, Doctor T'Soni", the turian muttered aloud. He studied the stony sloping architecture with his rifle sighted, ignoring the krogan's groan of frustration. Several geth corpses littered the walkway up ahead, as sure a sign as any that the great Commander Shepard had passed through.

"Wait a minute", the krogan lifted the width of his head. "What is that?"

"What is what?" the asari asked.

"Down there, that broken mess all over the ground".

"Oh, I see it now", Garrus remarked at last. He lowered his rifle and made swift paces to the scattered debris strewn across fine sand and shallow azure waters. "Looks like some kind of communications rig".

"Transmitter", Wrex mumbled, tapping a tattered cable with his armored toe. "Shepard must have blown it to bits. Probably slow the geth down, if nothing else".

"Perhaps there is an access terminal nearby, something valuable we can use later", the asari trotted up a nearby ramp without waiting for an official movement command. Garrus knew he couldn't command loyalty the way Shepard could, but things would be easier if his fellow squad mates respected the chain of command.

The krogan grunted, and followed the asari up the ramp.

Vakarian supposed, technically, he didn't outrank any of them. The fact that Wrex was already difficult to control was not alleviating any of his worries.

Eyes open for geth, Garrus ascended the ramp and rejoined his companions. Something flashed red in his HUD.

"Oh, great", he froze in his tracks. "Hostiles inbound, get to cover!"

Liara pressed her back to a nearby wall, blue eyes darting wildly for signs of danger.

"Where?" Wrex asked, eagerly drawing his Firestorm shotgun.

"Not sure", Garrus replied, taking up a position against the wall adjacent to Liara's. "Sensors are jammed".

"That doesn't help much", the krogan scoffed. He plodded through jagged debris until he arrived at a widened gap in the rock wall. The opening was a full meter over the massive krogan's head, and the surrounding wall was too steep and smooth for the krogan to climb.

"Hey", he gestured to the cowering pair. "Get over here".

"Me?" the asari asked.

"Yeah, _you_", Wrex bellowed. "You're lighter than the bird boy, anyway. Come here and I'll give you a leg up".

_Bird boy?_

Doctor T'Soni holstered her pistol and approached the krogan without hesitation. Centering her right boot in the krogan's exposed palm, she grasped the armored plating at his shoulders and propelled herself to full height. It was like climbing the trunk of a sturdy tree.

"See anything?"

"I cannot see from here, I need a bit more height", she said.

T'Soni flattened her palms against the rock and adjusted her footing for a proper climb. Her foot seemed to stick momentarily, and the krogan used his free hand to dislodge it.

"Keep your foot in your own mouth, asari".

"Oh. Excuse me.", she apologized politely before mounting herself upon the krogan's dorsal hump. Wrex spat sandy particles from his lips and teeth.

"There, now I can see them", Liara reported. Garrus peered at the unlikely duo, a slender asari astride the bulk of an armored krogan. Just another day on the job for the C-Sec investigator. "It looks like they are heading away from us, though".

Garrus suspected that Matriarch Benezia never taught her daughter how to use contractions in sentences.

"Away?" Wrex bellowed. The krogan's vocalizations sent noticeable vibrations up the asari's legs. The sensations were not entirely unpleasant. "Guess they don't know we're here".

"Or they're hunting for the assault team", Garrus corrected the krogan. "Reinforcements would paint the commander as a priority target. We'll have to radio Shepard".

"Why bother? Let me take them out", the krogan shifted restlessly, still balancing the scrawny scientist in his palms as though her ablative porcelain suit was empty inside.

"Wrex, please try to be careful" the asari whined, stooping to all fours before sliding gracefully off the plated krogan armor. She decided a real tree would have been more predictable and less temperamental.

"We can't just stand here", said the krogan, not caring that Garrus pressed a hand against his ear. Captain Kirrahe sounded highly distraught over the comm.

"Sounds like they're close to the AA tower", Garrus noted, now checking the magazine in his rifle. Cheek flaps fluttered briefly at the satisfying sight of tungsten rounds. "We can hit the geth before they get behind the commander, but we would need to hurry toward the base and regroup at the Normandy before the nuke is armed. It'll be a tight squeeze, and-"

"Good", the mercenary barked. "Make a nice geth sandwich".

Wrex didn't care for sandwiches; even the tastiest ones were too mushy for his krogan palette. Far more appealing than food was the notion of self-distraction; tearing up geth would be pleasurable enough to pull his thoughts away from the wretched work Shepard would have to do, destroying the only known cure for the krogan genophage. He knew what was at stake. The fate of the entire galaxy took priority over the fate of his people. Shepard was right. She had always been right.

_Damn her._

It was still too early to know who was damned, though. If Saren managed to find a cure, maybe someone else would. Maybe even Shepard. Hell, it wouldn't surprise him in the slightest.

The battlemaster lumbered down the ramp after the agile asari, while the turian team leader followed with a shake of his head. Garrus would have traded Wrex for Tali in a heartbeat.


	7. Chapter 7

Erudon writhed in his combat hard suit, scraping silvery platelets of dense armor against one another. It felt too tight in several places, and although it wasn't heavy, the cumbersome shell would restrict his movements substantially in the event of a surprise attack. Luckily, the geth squad possessed excellent sensor systems. He wasn't too big on fancy technobabble, though he was certain his unit would have the element of surprise. It irritated him slightly, knowing the extra precautious were necessary since they were dealing with an elite spectre. If it had been his choice, he would have destroyed the spectre with his bare hands, maybe in the nude, like the legendary warriors of old.

Times had changed. Now everyone had to hide behind thick plates of metal and complicated energy shields.

Two synthetic companions quirked their flashbulb faces at him as they walked at his side, as if sensing his sudden wave of discontent. The machines possessed a level of intuition that did not sit well with the krogan.

"Eyes forward!" he barked at the synthetics, and they instantly obeyed. He liked that about the geth. They were excellent combatants, too. Not a match for a squad of krogans, but it was so easy to control a machine.

One day, he _would_ fight alongside his krogan brethren. Erudon hated turians just as much as the next krogan, but Saren was no liar. He was a suave guy, spouting on about honor, respect, and _keeping one's word_. Turians loved that kind of crap. For all their snootiness, turians usually stuck to their guns. Erudon was glad to have those guns on his side, for once.

Vakarian clenched an empty fist, frustrated by the memory of his donation to the thankless salarians. The spaces between the cliffs were wide, and offered scant cover. He wanted his sniper rifle.

Whatever danger he faced, it would be negligible against the hellish firefight the salarians were dying in at this very moment. Anger dampened to anxiety, as Garrus realized that his rifle could be sitting in the mud beside a fallen soldier who gave his life to ensure Shepard's success.

Vakarian was not going to let such sacrifice be in vain.

"Liara", he called out, assault rifle unfurling in his hands. "Take Wrex to the farthest side of that rock wall. I'll cover your advance".

"Like hell!" the krogan barked defiantly. "You expect me to sling her over my shoulder with one hand and just keep shooting with the other? I don't know what action vids you've been watching, but I need both hands to fire _accurately_".

"Wrex, don't be-"

"No", the asari interrupted him. "It's alright. I will follow you, Wrex. My skills will compliment your own".

The krogan finally relented, and executed Garrus's command. Neither saw Liara smirking as she followed to the cliff wall; for all their bickering, the archaeologist was still a superb mediator.

Vakarian checked his rifle for the fifth time. Efficiently designed weapons rarely required reloading; he was more concerned about sustained fire. A cheap rail extension boosted the firepower of his rifle, but made his weapon more prone to overheating. Gunnery Chief Williams suggested installing a heat sink, but Garrus had been busy running diagnostic scans on the Mako. When he got back aboard the Normandy, he intended to take Williams up on her offer.

A sharp thunderclap, and Garrus halted.

"Kill them!" a ferocious roar echoed across the cliff walls. Tactics could compensate for the superior numbers of the geth, but Vakarian grew short of breath when he recognized the resonant battle cry.

_Krogan._


	8. Chapter 8

Kinetic barriers, for all their appeal, were nothing more than a counterpoint in Erudon's combat analysis. Sticks and stones were a necessary evil. Erudon's stones consisted of incendiary grenades, capable of burning through flesh and bone in mere seconds. His assortment of sticks included, among other things, a grenade launcher.

Unfortunately for Erudon, incendiary grenades were substantially hampered in wide outdoor spaces, particularly where the sand was moist if not altogether submerged in crisp tropical water. Flaming shrapnel collided uselessly against the silvery cliff walls, plopping pointlessly into the puddles below.

_Damn water._

"Get over there, keep shooting!" he commanded the geth infantry. Despite his frantic movements, the geth held the line in an orderly fashion. Half his team took up firing positions along the jagged bits of cover that poked out just beyond the water's surface. The other half advanced steadily on the broadest gap in the cliff.

One shock troop settled in behind the largest rock, exposing its head only briefly to survey the enemy position. By the time its sensors identified the severity of the threat, it was too late. Perfectly sheared particles of tungsten carved its synthetic body with sublime precision. Glistening shards from the geth's external frame drifted across the water's surface, bobbing serenely upon the ripples sent from its fallen parental unit.

Geth shock troops did not fall quickly, and Erudon could neither see nor hear the detonation of a tech mine. There was only one type of warrior that could cut down a shock troop so quickly.

"Stay where you are and keeping firing!" Erudon shouted, drawing a sleek assault rifle from its magnetic holster.

Like many krogans, Erudon was a skilled biotic. To face another biotic of comparable skill on the battlefield would be an intriguing test of his abilities as a warrior. However, Erudon was not truly interested in proving himself to anyone.

He just loved a challenge.

"Let's go, get moving!" someone bellowed from the farthest end of the cliff. It sounded distinctly krogan, which did not make sense to Erudon. Was he being attacked by a defector? That would explain the suddenness of the ambush, how they managed to sneak up from behind.

Erudon peered out from his cover and sprayed haphazardly, concealing himself only when his barriers were nearly gone.

"You're on the wrong side of the fight, krogan!" he hollered, glancing at his HUD. Why did it take so long for his shields to recharge?

"I'm not the one hiding behind a rock", came the gruff rebuke.

Erudon did not wait for his kinetic barriers to return to full strength. Blinded with rage, he emerged from his cover just in time to witness the last of his geth crumple and splash into the sapphire waters.

"Freeze, krogan!" came the resonant croak of a rifle-wielding turian. At his side stood an asari, tiny tentacled head topping sleek black armor. Erudon guessed from the softness of her eyes that she was no commando. There was no krogan in sight, though.

"Hi there", a voice rumbled from his unguarded side. Erudon was flat on his back before he could even turn to face the speaker, and his ribs burned tremendously as he struggled to his feet.

"Who the hell hired you?"

"No one", the elder krogan replied. "Wanna take the mask off, or should I kill you as you are?"

"Wrex, wait!" the asari called out. "This krogan may wish to surrender".

"And you may wish to shut your yap, asari", Erudon chortled, prostrate before the enemy krogan who kept a single foot firmly pressed against his shoulder.

"She's right", the turian added, closing carefully with his rifle sighted. "He might hold valuable intel".

"No", Wrex spoke flatly. "This krogan is already dead".

A deafening boom echoed throughout the storm-polished cliffside.

Liara T'Soni stared incredulously at the krogan still standing, though her comely features soon softened into sober acceptance. Wrex holstered his shotgun, bloody gaze thirsting for vengeance. Garrus exhaled through his nasal cavity, and lifted his eyes to his companions.

"Alright. We'd better regroup with Shepard".

The trio departed, leaving only a mess of fractured machinery and the silvery armored husk of a once proud warrior.


	9. Chapter 9

A sharp hiss signaled the completion of the final automated decontamination, and Vakarian set foot aboard the Normandy. Wrex and Tali trotted down the bridge, while the turian lingered at the cockpit and gazed silently at amber gauges and luminescent display screens.

"Somethin' you need?"

"No", Garrus replied to the faceless voice. "I was just leaving".

"It was a tough call", Joker spoke at last. "I'm just glad I didn't have to make it".

The pilot's voice had never sounded so gentle.

"What?" the turian was puzzled. He shifted noticeably when he found Shepard standing at his side. She often seemed to appear out of thin air.

A spectre among spectres.

"Ash" she answered in monotone. "It was either Williams or Alenko. Only time for one save before the nuke detonated. Alenko was arming the bomb, the objective. I chose the objective".

Garrus studied the spectre's features as she spoke. There were no wrinkles upon her fair skin, no tension at her brow. No anger. No sadness.

This was not the first time Shepard had to leave someone behind, and it would probably not be the last. For the pilot to trivialize such a horrific dilemma as a "tough call" seemed to be in very poor taste to the young turian. Soured green head dipped morosely.

"I'm sorry, Commander".

Vakarian sustained a supplicant stance, awaiting some soldierly words of reassurance. When none came, he stole one final glance at the first human spectre and left for the Normandy's vehicle bay.

Despite the depth of his concentration, Staff Lieutenant Alenko was capable of maintaining outstanding situational awareness. This capability served him well on the battlefield, though his capabilities extended to non-combat scenarios as well. Shallow observations of introversion by superior officers were overshadowed by regular demonstrations of fluid intelligence and attentive planning. Alenko's personnel file did not contain words such as "creative" or "sympathetic", but those who served with him knew of his "sensitivities" all too well.

Following Shepard's traditional debriefing, Alenko had thrust himself back into his regular duties. He had no intention of drowning himself in a sea of sorrow.

Footsteps.

Alenko let his vision wander from his work, and he immediately regretted it. Navigator Pressley hunched over a dispenser, shiny pink baldness above the grey of his hairline. The lieutenant dabbed a bead of sweat from his forehead, awaiting a fresh lecture.

Silence.

Pressley downed a full glass of water, and left.

_All's well that ends well._

The mission on Virmire had ended. If the loss of one soldier meant the preservation of billions, then it had ended well. Even the nuke had been repurposed from the salarians' ship. With all the damage they caused, someone crunching the numbers would have been very impressed. Politicians, maybe.

_And that's why I hate politicians._

Coffee colored eyes and full lips in a frown appeared before Alenko. He resumed his work, and tried not to frown back.


	10. Chapter 10

The youngest member of the Normandy's crew poured through diagnostic scans within the bowls of the engine room. Her tiny clawed appendages moved without rest or hesitation; Tali feared that if she kept still for too long, someone would see her hands shaking.

She did not want to be coddled by the rest of the engineering staff.

When at last her hands grew weary and sore, her fingers curled into a fist. She held the fist for several seconds before dropping it, hands relaxing briefly at her sides.

_Too much stillness._

Blinking away the tension, she made a thorough inspection of the terminal and diagnostic array. Everything was disappointingly perfect. Every piece was sleek and spotless, pristine and fresher than any piece of hardware needed to be. She decided this was good, however. Repairs would require omni-gel, and using omni-gel would mean pawing through the generous gift that rested at her feet.

Tali risked a glance at the toolbox. It was beautiful and quiet, too shy to share its hallowed tales. The message inscribed upon its surface faced the wall. The young quarian had rotated the box in this manner, and she was glad for it. It no longer appeared to be gazing at her.

Perhaps Garrus would need her help. Virmire was covered with sand and saltwater, and saltwater was bad for the Mako. That was what Garrus told her, if memory served her correctly.

The Normandy's vehicle bay lacked the soothing warmth of the engine room. Tali shivered briefly upon entering, but made deliberate strides toward the turian. Garrus Vakarian stood at his usual post beside the Mako, although he did not seem heavily focused on his console display this time.

Tali followed the turian's gaze to the darkest recesses of the vehicle bay. She expected to see cold vacancy in the furthest corner. Instead, she found the workbench of Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams to be anything but vacant.

Donning blue Alliance fatigues, Commander Shepard was poised thoughtfully over the workbench of her fallen friend. Brown eyes washed over the neatly arranged series of firearms that adorned the countertop, each one framed in crimson luminescence. A bizarre display of the chief's incomparable abilities in weapon maintenance.

Several members of the Normandy's crew were gathered around Shepard. Tali recognized Alenko's pensive silhouette, though it took a moment for her to identify the requisition officer among the remaining humans. His SR-1 cap was pressed gently upon his chest.

All eyes were on Shepard.

When at last she turned, there was no hint of surprise or regret in her face. All was silent, until the first human spectre took four strides toward the assemblage of spectators. They stirred, granting her generous room to pass between them, but she halted and simply stood among them for a moment.

Without warning, the commander spun and snapped to attention, standing at the forefront of the many onlookers. Eyes now locked upon the gunnery chief's workstation, the arm bent and the fingers chopped swiftly toward her own forehead. It was the first time Tali had ever witnessed the spectre executing a formal human military salute. Conventional knowledge led her to believe that such a salute was reserved for exchanges with superior officers. She reasoned that saluting a fallen soldier was a gesture of respect among the humans, as if to elevate them and honor them for their death.

_A sacrifice._

The human officers gathered around Shepard quickly followed suit. All stood erect and maintained their saluting posture until Shepard departed without words. They exchanged glances before shuffling off and returning to their duties. Lieutenant Alenko was, unsurprisingly, the last officer to leave the scene.

Urdnot Wrex, having little else to do during his idle hours, peered through the darkness at the quarian and turian. He expected a verbal exchange, and was surprised to see Tali trudging back to the engine room with her hooded little head hanging a little more limp than usual. He suspected the quarian would cry or something, but at least now he would be spared the irksome soundtrack of her sorrow.

Krogan intuition led Wrex to believe that the mission on Virmire would not end well. He knew it right from the start, but none of it really mattered in the long run.

Traditional wisdom of the ancient warlords told him that every ending was really just another beginning.


End file.
